This all-star trio came together in the late 70s/early 80s and made just two magical studio recordings for ECM. The band performed in Europe during the few years it existed. ECM producer Manfred Eicher discovered, after more than three decades in the ECM archive, an astonishing live recording of the band from a concert in his home town of Munich which he has now newly mixed in 96 kHz/24 bit.

The American standard “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” has received no shortage of noble ministrations since it was composed, by the Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, some 80 years ago. Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin are most famously associated with the song, but there are also popular recordings by Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Nina Simone and many others, and what they all have in common is a reverential pathos, the suggestion of human frailty in the face of the divine. The song’s second verse cuts to the heart of mortal supplication:

When my way grows drear
Precious Lord linger near
When my life is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Those lyrics haunted my head as I encountered the instrumental version of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” that opens Come Sunday, a new Emarcy release from bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Hank Jones. The reasons should be obvious: Jones, who was 91 when the album was recorded, in February of 2010, died just three months later. His passing was widely mourned in the jazz community, especially by those musicians, like Haden, who had counted him among their dearest elders.

In 1995, jazz legends bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Hank Jones recorded a milestone of eloquent music, Steal Away, based largely on traditional spirituals and folk songs. The New York Times called the Grammy-nominated duo album “exquisite,” while another reviewer wrote, “This is music by two masters, immersing themselves in a profound stream of American music.”

Nearly 17 years later arrives the luminous follow-up, Come Sunday, recorded in February 2010 shortly before Jones passed away. It’s another magical and reverent collaboration that plumbs the lyrical and transcendent depth of hymns, carols, spirituals, folk songs and classic tunes.

Greetings Gates* and all you music lovers – and if you weren’t one before you entered the site, hopefully you will be one upon leaving us.

It was time to update this site with the ability to respond in a timely fashion to the ever-changing world. We have a great team ready to
inform you.

It’s been a year of wonderful surprises for me one of which was to be awarded the nation’s highest honor in jazz, the 2012 NEA Jazz Master’s Award. More on that and other events in the news section.

I hope you find this new website both inspiring and informative – it goes along with our commitment to making beautiful music. We’ll have some special treats to post here from time to time (do check out my Turntable blog – just scroll down from here).

This should be a new year for communication – you ask and I’ll answer when I have the opportunity so write me about what is going on: charlie@charliehadenmusic.com

Our voices may be in the minority because that’s our fate, but our hopes are in the majority because that’s our will.